Monrovia, Liberia – In response to recent discussions regarding the fuel and lubricant allotment for the House of Representatives, officials have provided clarity on the request process, funding decisions, and the current status of the allotment.
The Chief Clerk of the House formally submitted a request to the Minister of Finance for fuel and lubricants designated for vehicles and generators for September and October. This request was subsequently handled by the budget team at the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for analyzing and processing such requests.
It is important to note that the Finance Minister does not directly engage in routine budget execution. Instead, the process begins with the budget department’s analysis of sector needs. All legislative funding requests originate from the office of the Chief Clerk or the Secretary of the Senate before being forwarded to the Minister of Finance.
Budget Team’s Decision and Funding Allocation
Following a thorough review by the budget team, an allotment of $199,000 was approved. This amount is significantly lower than the original request of $752,000. The reduction was necessitated by the legislative budget law, which imposes limits on funds allocated for such expenses under the retail budget.
The approved $199,000 reflects the final recast budget, which indicated that only this amount was available to support the fuel and lubricant needs of the 73 lawmakers during the specified period.
Current Status of the Allotment
The approved allotment of $199,000 is currently pending final processing within the Financial Budgeting Office. It is essential to clarify that this amount is intended for collective use by all 73 lawmakers rather than being designated for individual members.
Expected Disbursement Timeline
The processing of the funds is ongoing within the Financial Budgeting Office, and officials anticipate that the allotment will be finalized soon, adhering to standard budgetary procedures.
Clarification on Social Media Claims
In light of recent claims circulating on social media, it is crucial to clarify that the funding request was not outrightly rejected by the Ministry of Finance. Instead, the allocation was made by the legislative budget limitations and the budget team’s assessment of available funds.
